Property taxes in Hawaii are due in two installments every year: the first on August 20 and the second on February 20. All four counties — Honolulu, Maui, Hawaii, and Kauai — follow the same schedule, so the due date does not change based on which island your property sits on. If either date falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline shifts to the next business day.
How the Tax Year Is Split
Hawaii’s property tax year runs from July 1 through June 30. Each county bills the year as two equal halves. The first installment covers July 1 through December 31, and the second covers January 1 through June 30.
Bills for the first installment are mailed around July 20, giving you about a month before the August 20 deadline. Second-installment bills go out around January 20, with payment due February 20.1City and County of Honolulu. Real Property Tax Timeline and Important Dates 2026-20272Maui County, HI – Official Website. Dates to Remember3Kauai County, HI. Important Dates
If your bill does not arrive, that is not a reason to pay late. You remain responsible for paying by the due date whether or not you received the notice, so contact your county’s real property tax office before the deadline if nothing has come in the mail.
What Counts as Paying on Time
Under Hawaii law, the postmark date on a mailed payment counts as the payment date.4Justia. Hawaii Revised Statutes 231-8 – Timely Mailing Treated as Timely Filing and Paying A check postmarked August 20 is on time even if the county doesn’t open the envelope until the 23rd. For online payments, the date the transaction is submitted controls, and in-person payments post the day you hand them over.
Penalties and Interest if You’re Late
Missing a due date is costly. Every county charges the same thing: a one-time 10% penalty on the delinquent amount, plus 1% interest for each month (or part of a month) the balance stays unpaid.5Department of Budget and Fiscal Services. Treasury Division6Maui County, HI – Official Website. Electronic Payment Options7Kauai County, HI. Fiscal Year 2025-2026 1st Installment Real Property Tax Due Aug. 208Hawaii County. Real Property Tax Division Revenue Cycle Management The interest compounds on the penalty too, so a bill left alone for a full year grows by roughly 22%.
Unpaid taxes also become an automatic lien against the property. That lien lasts three years from the date it is recorded and will block a clean sale or transfer until it is cleared.9Justia. Hawaii Revised Statutes 231-61 – Tax Liens; Co-Owners Rights If the debt is still outstanding, the tax collector can foreclose through the circuit court to recover the taxes, penalties, interest, and enforcement costs.10Justia. Hawaii Revised Statutes 231-62 – Tax Liens; Foreclosure; Property Foreclosure is rare, but the penalty-and-interest math alone makes even a short delinquency expensive. If you cannot pay by the due date, call the county office first and ask what options exist.
Ways to Pay
Each county accepts payments three ways: online, by mail, or in person.
Online payments go through the county’s real property tax portal. Credit and debit cards carry a convenience fee. Honolulu charges $2.50 plus 2.25% of the payment.11Department of Budget and Fiscal Services. Real Property Tax Electronic Payment Site Kauai’s fee is roughly the same.12Kauai County, HI. Online Payment Manual Hawaii County discloses the card service fee before you confirm and charges $3.50 for an electronic check.13County of Hawai`i. Online Real Property Tax Payments
Mailed checks or money orders should be made payable to the county’s finance or treasury department. Because the postmark controls, a payment dropped at the post office on August 20 counts as timely. In-person payments are accepted at county offices during business hours, and some locations have secure drop boxes for after-hours use. Mail and in-person payments avoid the card convenience fees entirely.
Mark Both Dates
Two dates do the whole job: August 20 and February 20. Put them on the calendar in July and January when the bills tend to arrive, and the rest takes care of itself. If a bill is missing a few weeks before either deadline, call the county. The postmark rule gives you until the end of the due date to mail a check, but it does not give you a second chance if you miss it.